The present invention relates generally to the area of computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) software, and specifically to a general object relationship management subsystem. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system that maintains data integrity when an object is modified, maintains referential integrity when an object is copied or deleted, defines the guidelines for programming behavior when an object is copied or deleted, encapsulates the details of how relationships are stored, and provides a mechanism for undoing or reversing actions taken on the object model through the relationship management system.